Device for adjustably supplying air to auditoriums and the like



Dec. 30, 1952 Filed Aug. 9, 1949 v. E. A. RUNEFELT 2,623,448 7 DEV FOR ADJUSTABLY SUPPLYING AIR AUDITORIUMS AND THE LIKE 2 SHEET$SHEET 1 In van r R aka/$4M Dec. 30, 1952 v. E. A. RUNEFELT 2,623,448

DEVICE FOR ADJUSTABLY SUPPLYING AIR TO AUDITORIUMS AND THE LIKE Filed Aug. 9, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 euro R 71m @W MMYMM Patented Dec. 30, 1952 DEVICE FOR ADJ USTABLY SUPPLYING AIR TO AUDITORIUMS AND THE LIKE Victor Elis Algernon Runefelt, Stockholm, Sweden Application August 9, 1949, Serial No. 109,302

In Sweden June 1, 1948 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to a device for adjustably supplying air to meeting halls, cinematograph and theatre halls and the like and the object of the invention is to automatically control in a simple manner the supply of air to the room in relation to the number of people congregated.

According to the present invention this is achieved by the air supply to the room being controlled by means of valves or similar devices operated by the movement of the pivotable chair seats when these are turned up and down, the air being allowed free entry to the room, when the seat is turned down, and the air now being shut off, when the seat is turned up.

The invention will be further described in the following with reference to the embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a side view and a front view respectively of a chair provided with a pivoted seat, according to the invention.

Fig. 3 shows on a larger scale a part of the chair shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in longitudinal section along the line III-III in Fig. 1, while Fig. 4 is a section along the line IV-IV in Fig. 3.

The legs 2 of the chair, provided with a pivotable seat I, are provided with vertical passages 3, which communicate with an air conduit 4 below the chairs and preferably arranged in the floor. The passages 3 of the chair legs further communicate with an air channel 5 running through and across the seat I, said channel extending between the hollow pivots 6 adapted for pivotally mounting the seat, said pivots being fixed to the seat by suitable means, but rotatably mounted to the chair legs in journal sleeves I. As is shown by the drawings, the channel 5 comprises a chamber extending across the whole width and length of the seat, and is directly connected to the atmosphere through a perforated disc 8 or the like.

In order to supply air to the room, in which the chair according to the invention is placed, when the seat of the chair is turned down, the pivots 6 and their journal sleeves I provide in combination a rotation-valve device. For this purpose the pivots 6 and the sleeves 'l are provided with cut-out portions 9 and [0 respectively, being so located as to cover each other when the seat is turned down, while they are entirely out of alignment, when the seat is turned up. The downward pivoting motion of the seat is limited in known manner by an abutment it,

while the upward motion is limited, for instance by the seat engaging the chair back.

The invention may naturally also be used for evacuating the room, in which case the air flow will pass in the opposite direction.

Having now particularly described the nature of my invention and the manner of its operation what I claim is:

1. A folding chair of the auditorium type comprising a fixed frame and a seat portion pivoted on said frame for swinging movement about a horizontal axis, said frame including an air duct connected with a source of air, valve means actuated by swinging movement of said seat portion to connect and disconnect said duct and the ambient atmosphere, said valve means comprising a horizontal sleeve fixed to said frame and extending into said duct and having a lateral port affording communication between said duct and the interior of said sleeve, and a hollow pivot fixed to said seat portion and rotatably mounted in said sleeve, said pivot having a lateral port which is in registry with said sleeve port, when said seat portion is in horizontal position and wholly out of registry therewith when said seat portion is in vertical position, a chamber Within said seat portion communicating with the interior of said pivot, and means in the lower wall of said chamber affording communication between said chamber and the ambient atmosphere.

2. A folding chair according to claim 1, in which said last means comprises a plurality of perforations.

VICTOR ELIS ALGERNON RUNEFELT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 374,424 Ober Dec. 6, 1887 760,182 Chapman et al. May 17, 1904 1,370,832 Mollberg Mar. 8, 1921 2,022,959 Gordon Dec. 3, 1935 2,065,192 Mautsch Dec. 2 1936 2,151,138 Morris Mar. 21, 1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 545,005 Great Britain L May 7, 1942 

